As the demand for oil and gas has continued to increase, oil field operators have continued to develop techniques for increasing production efficiency. Directional drilling is one such technique, which has enabled oil field operators to drill boreholes that extend and are maintained further within the production zone of a reservoir. Multiple boreholes may be drilled in a pattern radiating out in non-vertical directions from a single common borehole, or as groups of non-vertical closely clustered boreholes. Such borehole configurations allow a larger volume of the produced product to be collected at a single location through fewer wellheads.
But as a borehole deviates from a fully vertical orientation, gravity tends to decentralize pipe strings, causing them to lean towards and eventually contact the low side of the borehole wall. These pipe strings rely upon being centralized within the borehole in order to operate properly. A pipe string may become stuck or even buckle if not kept away and out of contact with the borehole wall. Such issues can be mitigated through the use of stand-off devices, which are mechanical devices mounted on pipe string segments that extend outward from the pipe string. The stand-off devices contact the borehole wall and maintain the pipe string's position near the center of the borehole. For casing strings, for example, such stand-off devices improve cementing of the casing by ensuring that the cement is of the required thickness and balanced around the casing string pipe. However, in order for stand-off devices to be effective it is important to carefully identify the locations for each stand-off device, given the forces and stresses present within a given region of a pipe string.
It should be understood that the drawings and corresponding detailed description do not limit the disclosure, but on the contrary, they provide the foundation for understanding all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.